Dad didn't get over Topaz, neither did Axel. But there was no way I was going to let them win this war.

Topaz and I were great friends, almost best friends. Maybe more than friends…

No! Shut up Jasmine!

Why? Don't you like Topaz?

Not like that!

Why not? It's clear he likes you…

No it's not.

Damn, thought I got you.

There were two voices in my head. One of them wanted to go out with Topaz because he was funny, interesting and, a bit hot. (Nervous giggles)

But the other half was the one that took over. It told me that if I did ask Topaz out, Dad would blow his top, Topaz would probably turn me down (stardom-girl!) and it would all just end in disaster.

Still, I decided just to stick with being best friends with Topaz, and the rest of the world would just have to put up with it.

OK, I've tried a million ways to put a new paragraph on here, but it never works! So, I'm just going to write this and you'll have to use your imagination.

I was seriously in the doghouse when I got back home. I heard Dad say that I was a wilful and disloyal girl. Did I care? He was the one being disloyal. I had always thought of my dad as this amazing, forgiving person who believed in every single person. Now I wasn't so sure.

I mean, I couldn't blame him for not liking Constantine, but this was not Constantine, it was his son! What does he want, a real-life version of Romeo and Juliet? Because we all know how that ended, now don't we.

More paragraphisms! Yaaay!

Uncle Fozzie was acting really weird. I mean super weird. I was just in my room (I'd been grounded after the whole Topaz incident) when Fozzie silently sneaked in.

"Uncle Fozzie?" I said. "What are you-?"

"Shh!" he interrupted.

He looked left, then right, and then left again, then he padded over and handed me a letter.

"This frog told me to give you this letter," he whispered. "And to not tell anyone."

"And you've decided to play at being James Bond?" I said seeming unimpressed.

Still, the letter excited me.

It was scribbled messily on the back of a receipt. Still, I treasured it, as I knew exactly who it was from.

Jasmine,

Papa's out!

He broke out of that dreaded Gulag yesterday, finally!

We're planning a good old-fashioned heist in the museum tonight.

Come and see me in the park and I'll tell you all.

If you care.

See you.

Topaz.

I knew what I had to do. I leapt up, grabbed my phone and keys and bolted out of the door.

"Hey, Jasmine, wait!"

Oh, for a second I had completely forgotten that Uncle Fozzie was still there.

"Uncle Fozzie, I need a favour," I said. "I've got to go out for a bit, but you can't tell anyone I've gone, especially my dad. If he asks, pretend you know nothing."

I thought for a bit.

"But tell him to send Axel again."

Uncle Fozzie nodded and I dashed out of the door, undetected.

However, I was ignorant enough to leave the letter lying on my bed without realising it, for anyone to read…

There are a lot of paragraphs in this chapter aren't there?

"Hiya. I got your letter," I said. "But how did you get it to me? You know what my dad thinks of you."

"Don't remind me," Topaz said.

I was in the park at this point with Topaz, after doing some undercover work of my own and escaping the prison that was, my own home.

"Well, I used those Muppets to my advantage," Topaz said. "You see, I don't know much about them, but I know enough from when Papa told me the story of when he took over your place."

"That was a good movie," I commented.

"Apparently so. Anyway, I got this plan in my head to wait outside your theatre, out of sight, until I saw that dumb bear that had the brains of a gooseberry flan."

"Fozzie," I said. "My Uncle (kinda)."

"Right, I gave him the letter and told him not to tell a soul."

I grinned, remembering Fozzie going all incognito.

"Then, I zipped out, avoiding the mad dog, for he might pull off both my arms."

"That would be Animal," I said. "He lives up to his name, and his reputation."

"Then I waited here and prayed that it would go well."

"Well it sounds to me like it worked," I said. "So anyway, about what it said in the letter-"

"Oh yes!" Topaz interrupted excitedly. "It's true! Papa said he's going to meet me in the museum tonight. Brilliant, huh?"

"Great," I said.

I tried so hard to be excited for Topaz, but I had been raised too well. Robbing and illegal stuff always sent shivers of guilt up my spine.

"Are you nervous?" I asked him.

"Not really," he said. "It's not the first heist I've done with Papa, or on my own. I just can't wait to see him again. Do you know how long he's been in that Gulag?"

I shrugged.

"Two years."

I imagined being away from my dad for that long. Wow, no wonder Topaz was so eager about tonight.

"The only thing is…" Topaz's grin faded as he gazed down at the grass. "I'm just worried in case it doesn't go well. You know what Papa's like, what if it ends in disaster?"

"It won't," I assured him. "Your dad will be delighted to see you after all this time," I said. "Trust me."

"I guess," he said. "But wish me luck?"

Before I could reply, guess who came charging towards us, enraged and yelling that I was a mischief-making minx.

A rascal, a nuisance, a meddler, a weasel. Bla, bla, bla.

Needless to say that my brother wasn't exactly delighted with me.

At last, he'd reached the end of his tether.

"Why can you not follow any rules or instructions?" he exploded.

I shrugged.

"Because the rules are stupid," Topaz said.

Axel and I stared at him.

Topaz crossed his arms. "So your dad doesn't like me much," he said. "And neither do you. Charming. But let me ask you something. Why does that have to affect Jasmine?"

Topaz wasn't the crazy, out-of-control person that Axel thought he was. He spoke calmly and didn't jump to any conclusions.

And yet Axel can be really dense sometimes. There was nothing Topaz or I could have done to make him realise that.

"Listen to me you little tyke," Axel hissed grabbing Topaz by the collar of his jacket. "You have been shouted at, you have been banned from our theatre, you have been banned from ever seeing Jasmine and yet you keep coming back. Why? What do I have to do, to keep you away from my sister?"

Topaz said nothing.

"Tell me!"

Topaz still said nothing.

"You know what," Axel said, throwing Topaz down in annoyance. "Why am I even trying to reason with you? You're just a pathetic, dirty beggar."

Topaz cleared his throat, and in a very calm voice said. "If you ask me, you're the one who's yelling at me, you're the one who refusing to reason or even listen to me. Maybe it's you who shouldn't be trying to talk to me."

That did it.

Before I knew it, Axel and Topaz were fighting.

And I mean proper fighting, with full blows and everything. Topaz very nearly broke his jaw and Axel's wrist went all funny.

I circled around them in desperation. I didn't know what to do. My best friend verses my brother, who should I root for? Who should I back-up? Who should I protect?

Suddenly, I saw a flash of silver and remembered Topaz's pocket knife. I knew what I had to do and with a great shriek, I gave Topaz a shove and we landed in a heap on the grass.

As I looked up, I saw Axel staring at his arm, a look of horror on his face.

I scrambled to my feet and saw a scarlet cut on Axel's arm, and not a trivial, minor one either.

"Axel," Topaz said desperately. "Before you say anything, I can explain. It was an accident, I didn't mean to! I…I…"

"You're a monster," Axel declared coldly. "Someone could have been killed."

He grabbed me by the shoulder and marched me off.

As I turned around and saw Topaz looking stunned, I wondered if I'd ever see him again. Not if Axel or Dad could help it.

"Good luck with your dad!" I yelled to Topaz. "Heaven knows he can't be as angry as my dad will be when I get home!"

This chapter is dedicated to my best friend in the world, Beth. I know she won't read this because she hates Muppets (!) but I just want her to know that we'll always be together, no matter who stands in our way.